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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399276">The Best reason to be late</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rjwritergirl/pseuds/rjwritergirl'>rjwritergirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agent Carter (TV), Captain America - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Day 2, F/M, Steggy Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:28:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rjwritergirl/pseuds/rjwritergirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Steve was late, and one time Peggy was.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Best reason to be late</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day two of Steggy week was Tropes/Cliches and Symbols. I picked "You're late.". Five times Steve was late, and one time Peggy was.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>1: Christmas 1944, Germany.</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Peggy bit back a curse as she paced the length of the bench she was supposed to be sitting on. The Howling Commandos were <em> supposed </em>to have picked her up two hours ago, but as per their usual, they were late. She hoped they had a good reason.</p><p> </p><p>She was only in Berlin Germany, she was only an English spy and it was only below freezing and she didn’t have mittens or a hat, having lost them while getting intel. She stamped her feet, trying to get her blood pumping.</p><p> </p><p>The rattle of a truck made her turn. She blinked, Steve and Barnes were in the front, wearing German uniforms. Steve’s sheepish smile softened any feelings of frustration she had towards the group. The brakes whined as they coasted to a stop by the bench.</p><p> </p><p>“We got distracted by ten Hydra agents and two unexpected roadblocks,” Steve apologized in a sheepish tone before saying the actual word, “Sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me up, I’m freezing.” She accepted the apology. Steve smiled and reached down and hoisted her inside the warm interior.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>2. May 1945: New York City</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>She knew it was futile to show up. She’d heard the plane go down.</p><p> </p><p>But she was here, dressed to the nines and ready to teach him to dance. Because Steve had always shown up--even if he was late.</p><p> </p><p>The Stork Club was closing for the night.</p><p> </p><p>And he wasn’t there.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>3: Easter Monday; 1949; Washington DC:</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Risen from the dead. But somehow he hadn’t died. Her love had returned three hours ago. After she’d made sure it was actually him, Steve tried to fumble out part of an explanation. Peggy silenced him with a kiss and turned on the record player. The Stork Club had closed for good the month before, but they could still have their dance.</p><p> </p><p>The song finally finished with another kiss and Peggy looked up, tears falling. “You’re late.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>4. Christmas 1949: London:</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Peggy sighed heavily as she left her mother’s small apartment. “We’ll have to reschedule,” Peggy conceded. “It’s not like Grant to not show up at all. It was nice to see you again, though.” It was only a little white lie.</p><p> </p><p>A car pulled up and haphazardly parked behind Peggy’s. She turned, ready to give Steve a piece of her mind, her heart stopped for a moment, why had Mr. Jarvis come, and not Steve?</p><p> </p><p>“You’re needed at the hospital, Miss Carter.” If Steve was injured, then it must be bad. But could they trust the doctors to treat Steve and not tell anyone about his miraculous healing ability?</p><p> </p><p>Peggy felt her mother following her. “I’m coming as well,” Amanda Carter insisted.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll be needed anyway, Mrs. Carter,” Mr. Jarvis said, which piqued Peggy’s interest. Why would they need her mother? They hurried to the hospital. Rather than go to the front entrance, Mr. Jarvis turned down a side street and then led them through a single door. Peggy caught a fleeting glimpse of Ana and Howard before they turned a corner. They turned another corner before coming face to face with Steve, Dum Dum, and Falsworth.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on?” Peggy demanded, “Obviously you’re not injured, Ste-Grant,” She corrected herself. “Why are you late?”</p><p> </p><p>“Considering who we found, I think you’ll forgive me for skipping dinner tonight,” Steve said, he gestured to a private room.</p><p> </p><p>Peggy and her mother went into the room and sat as Colonel Phillips came in behind them. “You’ll both want to sit.” It was a little less than a direct order. The room was small but had obviously been quickly made into a makeshift hospital room. A nurse finished making the bed and left before Colonel Phillips stepped in.</p><p> </p><p>“Colonel....” Peggy stopped as another man stepped in. It took a moment for Peggy to realize who she was staring at.</p><p> </p><p>“Micheal?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>5: Christmas Eve 1950: Washington DC</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Peggy stopped at the top of the stairwell as she heard voices murmuring downstairs. She couldn’t hear the words, but a tone of disapproval carried upstairs. Her wedding was supposed to have started an hour before, but Steve wasn’t there. If she hadn’t been so secure in her and Steve’s relationship she would have wondered if Steve was trying to tell her something.</p><p> </p><p>The phone rang and she heard Micheal answering. “I’ll tell her.” He hurried to the stairwell. “They found someone named Barnes.” Micheal started up, “And the snow slowed them down. Steve will be here in an hour.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>And one time Peggy was late.</strong> </em>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>April 18th, 1956; Washington DC; </em> </b>
</p><p>Peggy walked through the door of her and Steve’s house, she quietly took her shoes off and hung her purse. “Are you alright?” Steve left the kitchen, she could smell a roast and she looked up at Steve. “I called your office and they said you’d left early.”</p><p> </p><p>“I had a doctor’s appointment,” Peggy said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>There was a clang as a bowl fell to the counter. “What? Are you alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine, Steve,” Peggy said. “Except, the rabbit died.”</p><p> </p><p>“No darling,” Steve said, clearly not understanding. “We're having pot roast for dinner. That's beef, not rabbit."</p><p> </p><p>Happy tears spilled as she took her husband’s hand and placed it on her still flat abdomen. Six years of trying and her cycle had never been late. Then it dawned on Steve the meaning of her words.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you. . . ?” Steve didn’t finish the sentence, afraid that if he said the words aloud, it wouldn’t be true.</p><p> </p><p>Peggy nodded. “Looks as though the stork will be delivering our very own bundle of joy around Christmas.”</p><p> </p><p>Steve took her in his arms and looked into her eyes. “You don’t say?”</p><p> </p><p>Peggy’s hand reached up to brush a piece of lint from Steve’s shirt. “Unless he takes after his father and runs late,” she teased.</p><p> </p><p>Steve’s blue eyes twinkled. “You never know, she might inherit her mother’s impeccable punctuality.” He chuckled at the confusion that darted across Peggy’s face. “Happy Anniversary, darling.”</p><p> </p><p>The realization of Steve’s words dawned on Peggy. “Today’s the anniversary of the day you returned, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I couldn’t ask for a better present.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Peggy said coyly and bit her bottom lip, “I already have mine.” She stood on tip-toe and pressed a kiss to Steve’s mouth. </p><p> </p><p>“Forever.”</p>
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